Intel AX1675x Prefers Distant Pod

[KenOhrn]

Hi:  I have an annoying issue.  My desktop PC Intel AX-1675x will switch regularly from the nearby (10m) Shaw/Rogers/Ignite XB-7 modem/router to a far away (30m) Shaw/Rogers/Ignite pod (Gen. 2 - XE2-SG) and stay there. 

It always connects to the pod when waking from sleep. And stays there until manually switched.

Internet speeds drop a lot for both up and down when connected to the pod.

Both the XB-7 and pod use channel 157 and this cannot be changed.  At the PC, RSSI for the XB-7 averages -45 to -55; pod is -65 to -75. 

I've set up the Intel card to prefer 5 gHz, 802.11ax,  MIMO power save mode off and with highest roaming aggressiveness. 

I've done long-term monitoring of the XB-7's 5 gHz signal and no dropouts occur. 

Any help gratefully accepted.

[JeanetteC_Intel]

Hello KenOhrn,

Thank you for posting in Intel Communities.

We'll check on this query and we will post an update once it's available. 

Best regards,

Jeanette C.

Intel® Customer Support Technician

[JeanetteC_Intel]

Hello KenOhrn,

Good day!

Have you tried to "forget network" and then connect to back to your preferred network (Shaw/Rogers/Ignite XB-7 modem/router)? If you do and still getting the same issue, please follow the steps from this reference article below:

Intel® Wireless Adapter Keeps Disconnecting from the Network

If the issue persists, download the Intel® System Support Utility for Windows* software. When the download is complete, launch SSU.exe, so we can check your system configuration.

  1. Scan: Check the box Everything.

  2. Click Scan.

  3. Review: When finished scanning, click Next.

  4. Click Save (.txt file).

I will wait for your reply.

Best regards,

Jeanette C.

Intel® Customer Support Technician

[KOhrn]

Hi:

The XB-7 and pod form a mesh network.  All APs have the same SSID and different MAC addresses.  Apparently, the XB-7 is responsible for deciding which AP a device will connect to, and for switching a device among the APs.   

There is very little information about this capability, and no end-user controls available through the XB-7 to manage it. 

Attached are the results from running the SSU.

Thank you for your assistance with this annoying issue. 

[JeanetteC_Intel]

Hello KenOhrn,

Thank you for sharing this important information and the log file.

Please try to uninstall the current wireless driver version 23.50.0.6 and proceed with the clean installation of the latest customized driver from your system manufacturer driver page (version 35.23.12137, A34).

Let us know how it goes.

Best regards,

Jeanette C.

Intel® Customer Support Technician

[KenOhrn]

Hi:

Thanks again for your work on this.

The driver package would not install due to not finding compatible hardware. 

[JeanetteC_Intel]

Hello KenOhrn,

In the SSU log file you shared, the Intel® Killer™ Wi-Fi 6E AX1675x was still still being detected.

Have you tried restarting your system and checking your Device Manager > Network Adapters > Intel® Killer™ Wi-Fi 6E AX1675x, if it is still showing? Can you please share another SSU log file (new scan results)?

I will wait for your reply.

Best regards,

Jeanette C.

Intel® Customer Support Technician

[KenOhrn]

Hi:  I have attached latest SSU, plus screen grabs from device manager and the driver install package you recommended.

The issue persists and the driver install still fails.

BTW, Dell Update software shows no newer driver available than the current 23.20.1.1.

Dell supplied this Intel Killer(R) Wi-Fi 6E AX1675x 160MHz Wireless Network Adapter (210NGW) and has somehow prevented the card from accessing Wi-Fi 6E (6 gHz band). Perhaps there are unintended consequences at play.

[JeanetteC_Intel]

Hello KenOhrn,

Thank you for sharing the details, screenshots, and new SSU log file. It is best to coordinate this with our team for further investigation. We will post an update once it's available.

Feel free to reach out if you have further questions, additional details to share, or need any clarification.

Best regards,

JeanetteC.

Intel® Customer Support Technician

[JeanetteC_Intel]

Hello KenOhrn,

Good day.

We just hope to inform you that we are still currently checking this issue with our engineering team. We will post an update once it's available.

Feel free to reach out if you have further questions, additional details to share, or need any clarification.

Best regards,

JeanetteC.

Intel® Customer Support Technician

[JeanetteC_Intel]

Hello KenOhrn,

Good day.

This is still being further checked by our engineering team and would need to ask for the following details below to further troubleshoot the issue:

Have you attempted to disable the 'Connect automatically' option for the network, to see if this prevents the device from automatically connecting to the less desired router/modem? If not, here are the steps:

1. Open the Settings app.

2. Navigate to Network & Internet.

3. Select Wi-Fi from the left panel.

4. Click on Manage known networks.

5. Choose the network you wish to manage.

6. Make sure the Connect automatically when in range option is unchecked.

Furthermore, we'd like to get these details as well:

1. When did it start to happen?
2. Do you remember if this issue happened after a new OS update or Wireless driver update?
3. Were you able to have a wireless connection in a normal/expected performance before?

We will wait for your reply.

Best regards,

JeanetteC.

Intel® Customer Support Technician

[KenOhrn]

Hi JeanetteC:

Thanks to you and your team for your assistance with this issue.

The network hardware consists of a pod and router/modem, both supplied by a local ISP.  The hardware and software are based on Comcast's Xfinity devices. It is a tightly-controlled network.  The router and the pod both broadcast on 2.4 gHz and 5 gHz, both using the same SSID.  There are no user settings to control this.

Software in the router and pod apparently control which device and frequency a client connects to, using unknown criteria. I am pursuing the possibility that the software is defective, or the hardware, leading to my Dell PC connecting to the far-distant pod. 

After I complained, the ISP (Shaw/Rogers) has swapped out the modem/router for a new model . As yet, I have not had a repeat of the issue.  

[KenOhrn]

To answer your questions directly:

I have no choice as to which network AP to connect to.  The router and pod both broadcast on 2.4 and 5 gHz, making a total of 4 available AP's. All have the same SSID. Choice of AP is made somehow by the router/pod combination.

I have attached a screenshot from WifiInfoView of the home network, showing the 4 available APs.  At the time of writing, the Dell desktop is connected to MAC D4-6C-6D-A7-30-C3. The issue is that it will occasionally switch automatically to C6-D4-54-E7-64-BB. 

The issue has been happening for months.

I do not believe the issue started with any specific OS or driver update.  It certainly has persisted through several OS updates.

When the Dell desktop is connected to the nearby AP (the router/modem) network performance is very good. When connected to the far-away pod, the Dell desktop performs poorly.

When a laptop or tablet in the other end of our home is connected to the nearby pod, performance is very good.